Model Railroading > The 2017 PC - Finally getting back to work....

Business has been so good that I've had little time to devote to completing layout benchwork. I did get a day last week and decided to erect the Watertown benchwork. This is a 22'-6" long by average 4' wide peninsula with a bump out to 6' on the end of it. I have to run to Home Depot to get more foam today but otherwise it is compete structurally.....trackwork begins today.

Bob

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Here is one more shot showing the entire peninsula.

I also did a small section of benchwork to be added onto the side of the helix to pass the mainline around it. I cannot add this on until I fully wire the helix - right now it only has temporary wiring. It attaches up near the top of the helix.


Bob

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It has been quite a while! Thanks for the update!

Cheers, Jim

Good to see you posting again; I look forward to more updates. Did you ever publish a track plan?

Good to see progress Bob !! What glue do you use to attach the 2'' foam to the benchwork ? --- Ken

Looks good Bob

Jon in Az

Posted from Android

Kemacprr Wrote:
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> Good to see progress Bob !! What glue do you use
> to attach the 2'' foam to the benchwork ? ---
> Ken

Hi Ken; a part of my "delay" issue has been watching your videos on YouTube !!!

I use Loctite ALL PURPOSE "Power Grab" Express from a tube that fits in my Ryobi power caulking gun ....(doing it via a hand caulking gun was very hard to do...) It grabs pretty much instantly but you have a few minutes to reposition if needed. I lay a bead across all of the supporting framing tops, then use weights to hold the foam down for 24 hours. Then I take a saber saw with a long fine-tooth blade, drill a starter hole, and trim the foam to fit the layout edges.

(Given the fact that my space is climate and humidity-controlled I get virtually no movement of any kind in the benchwork - even that attached to the walls - so I am experimenting on this peninsula with leaving one piece of 8' foram secured by a 3" long sheet rock screw and washer screwed into the benchwork at each of 4 corners, with no cement of any kind. If the benchwork is level and straight, the foam sits down on it without the cement - I tried a 6 foot long test section and it worked..... after a year it is still sitting on top of the framing, flat. The foam seems very dimensionally stable.)

I use this same adhesive method to lay cork roadbed and to glue track to the roadbed. This stuff grabs the roadbed and the track really well, and you can make pretty tight curves and it will hold - but I use 4" "T" pins through the roadbed into the foam to make sure the glued roadbed does not creep. I use an 8' straightedge to align tangent roadbed.

In all cases with roadbed, I lay a bead of the cement and then spread it thin with a putty knife doing 1/2 the roadbed at a time so I can lay it along the line I draw to follow. I then use a roller to flatten it out. Then I secure it in place with pins, wait overnight and remove the pins then lay the other half of the roadbed I only draw the radii - I lay transition spline curves by eye. (I am after all a naval architect - I do it for a living...lol). The cork roadbed is a natural spline and and connecting tangents to radius curves on the railroad is no different than doing it in the old days on a drawing board, where we used wood splines and steel of lead "ducks".

I lay track the same way - I lay a continuous bead of cement and flatten it out with a putty knife, then simply lay the track into it in 6' sections, and track too is a fine spline....if I follow the roadbed the transitions come naturally and I review them and tweak them by eye before the glue sets too hard. I use clear when I can find it - but lately my local home depot only carries white but once the track is painted you don;t see it.

Bob



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/17 07:55 by navarch2.

fs321a Wrote:
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> Looks good Bob
>
> Jon in Az
>
> Posted from Android


Thank you Jon.

Bob

SPDRGWfan Wrote:
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> It has been quite a while! Thanks for the
> update!
>
> Cheers, Jim

You are very welcome, Jim.

Bob

Nice progress. What is the radius and grade on the helix?

SantaFeRuss

SantaFeRuss Wrote:
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> Nice progress. What is the radius and grade on the
> helix?
>
> SantaFeRuss


Hi Russ;

It is an Ashlin Designs helix kit - a double track one - 30" and 32" TRACK radius and about 2.5% grade, trusting recall.

Bob



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/17 20:09 by navarch2.

Thanks Bob, Glad you enjoy the video's . After watching them I have made up a list of repairs to be done to scenery and other items that the camera catches. Tilting telephone poles trees that need some trimming or moving incomplete grade crossing and missing ballast !! Definitely a different perspective !! --- Ken

King_Coal Wrote:
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> Good to see you posting again; I look forward to
> more updates. Did you ever publish a track plan?

I have them available in PDF format but they are large files - about 20MB. If you have an email that can take that large a file, PM me with an email address and I will gladly send you one. That offer is for anyone to take me up on.

Bob

Bob, with radius 30 and 32 inches, that's only 2 inch track centers. No issues with long cars passing each other and plenty of clearance? I ask because I've always assumed 2 inch centers in HO was only good for straight parallel tracks and you needed a wider spacing on curves, at least 2 1/4 inch centers, more on smaller radius curves.

Cheers, Jim

I am thoroughly impressed and I am GREEN with envy. I am sure you have posted this before but if it would not be too much trouble do you have a track plan you can share? Thanks again for the updates I enjoy them very much.

Chad Wrote:
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> I am thoroughly impressed and I am GREEN with
> envy. I am sure you have posted this before but if
> it would not be too much trouble do you have a
> track plan you can share? Thanks again for the
> updates I enjoy them very much.


See a few posts up :)

Bob